Marumo Gallants spoil Kaizer Chiefs’ Heritage Day despite Khanyiso Mayo’s dream start

KAIZER CHIEFS 1 (1) Mayo 39’

MARUMO GALLANTS 1 (0) Clifford 79’

Sibongiseni Mthethwa embodied a “Zulu warrior” for Kaizer Chiefs on Heritage Day, but his efforts didn’t yield the desired result as his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Marumo Gallants at FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

Chiefs needed to win this game at all costs. It would have been the perfect traditional gift to their fans while injecting some positivity into the club following recent challenges.

Amakhosi are set to have a new coach in the coming weeks, as they are reportedly close to parting ways with Nasreddine Nabi over a licensing issue. The Tunisian is already back home, having been absent even for their last CAF Confederation Cup game away to Kabuscorp.

Nabi’s lieutenants were also eager to restore calm around the team’s performances after two consecutive losses — a run that dented their bright start to the season after four wins and a draw in their first five Betway Premiership games.

It may be some time before the culture of “The Chiefs Way,” which once swept aside all comers, returns to the local top flight — especially with another coaching change looming.

However, given the challenges of the past 11 years, Chiefs supporters surely wouldn’t mind just returning to a culture of weekly victories.

But they failed to do that again tonight, as Gallants held them to a 1-1 draw, extending Amakhosi’s winless run to three games following back-to-back defeats in the CAF Confederation Cup and the league.

Chiefs fans, many of whom were dressed in traditional attire to celebrate Heritage Day, will now hope for a different result when they welcome Kabuscorp for a must-win second leg of the Confederation Cup preliminary qualifier after the first-leg loss in Angola.

Several individuals stood out in this match, starting with Sibongiseni Mthethwa. The midfielder embodied a true Zulu warrior, particularly in the first half.

Mthethwa was effective for Amakhosi — whose name means “Royalty” — as he controlled the engine room, fighting for every ball, even clashing with teammates who seemed off the pace.

Tensions flared when Mthethwa and Inacio Miguel had a mini-brawl after a Gallants attacker unleashed a thunderbolt from outside the box. The duo were clearly frustrated with each other for not clearing their lines in time.

Gallants may have seen little of the ball in the first half, as Mthethwa played like a “Zulu on the Stoep,” wearing his heart on his sleeve, but they still managed two shots compared to Chiefs’ none by the time half-time approached.

Daniel Msendami fired the visitors’ first shot on target from the flank, but it was smartly parried away by Brandon Petersen.

Petersen, who had conceded in his last two games after keeping clean sheets in the first five, stood firm again, denying Bheki Mabuza with a crucial save.

Chiefs’ first shot on target resulted in a goal, as Khanyiso Mayo — son of club legend Patrick Mayo — scored on debut. The young striker latched onto a loose ball in the box and calmly slotted past Washington.

Becoming the first of his bloodline to score for Chiefs since his father, Mayo’s goal surely pleased the fans, who now hope the family tradition of scoring for Amakhosi continues under his reign.

The goal also moved Miguel to tears — prompting Mthethwa to sprint from the halfway line to console the Angolan alongside Petersen, as the two teammates appeared to smoke the peace pipe.

There could have been more joy before half-time, after Chiefs were awarded a penalty for a Gallants handball inside the box. But it wasn’t to be — Gastón Sirino missed the resulting spot-kick.

Sirino was also guilty of wasting another clear opportunity when he blasted over the crossbar following excellent footwork from Mayo, who was substituted just before the hour mark to a standing ovation.

Chiefs continued to dominate, with Mthethwa everywhere once again. But the earlier missed chances came back to haunt them, as substitute Jaison Clifford stunned the home side with a well-taken curler from the edge of the box.

Chiefs huffed and puffed in search of a winner, with Mduduzi Shabalala running at the Gallants’ defence, but it wasn’t enough. Chiefs’ Heritage Day — dominated by a Zulu warrior — ended in a draw.